Justin Bieber: 'I don't have to go to church'

(MTV) — Just days after debuting his new Jesus tattoo, Justin Bieber is opening up about his views on God and religion in the new issue of V magazine.

“A lot of people who are religious, I think they get lost. They go to church just to go to church. I’m not trying to disrespect them, but for me, I focus more on praying and talking to him,” the cover boy explains in the issue, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. “I don’t have to go to church.”

The singer’s strong religious beliefs have always been a part of his public persona. At the 2011 VMAs, when Bieber accepted the Moonman for Best Male Video for “U Smile,” he thanked God.

“I just want to say thank you so much, not only to God but to Jesus,” Bieber said. “Because I wouldn’t be here without Him. He’s really blessed me. He’s put me in this position. So I want to say thank you so much.”